In a setback to Pakistan's efforts to get new generation Swedish-made Gripen fighter planes, Stockholm has said that it will not sell any weapons or weapon-related equipment to Islamabad.
"There is no question of selling them weapons or anything directly related to weapons," Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds said after her talks with visiting Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf in Stockholm on Tuesday.
Before his talks with Freivalds, Musharraf, who is currently on a tour of Scandinavian countries, said Pakistan might be interested in purchasing JAS Gripen fighter planes from Sweden. "Pakistan is looking for a high-tech aircraft. Gripen is one of several alternatives," he was quoted as saying by Swedish newswire TT.
Freivalds also said the Swedish government has yet to decide whether to sell Erieye radars, which was sought to be purchased by Pakistan for its Air Force.
She said a decision has to be made whether the radar came under the category of weapons. "We have yet to reach that
stage," she said.
Pakistan Air Force has been looking to acquire new generation aircraft to modernise its ageing fleet after US declined to sell old or new F-16 fighter planes to it.